The reason why concocting pills was a difficult task was because it was difficult to control the temperature level.
Should one use firewood to start the fire, it would be very difficult to control the heat level of the flames, let alone achieve the precision required to concoct pills. In theory, the higher the grade of alchemical pill, the stricter the requirements for controlling the fire.
Precision aside, the alchemist also had to be able to stimulate the heat to an extreme level; the alchemist's cultivation had to be very high to achieve this. Ordinarily speaking, an alchemist should be able to concoct pills that are at most one level higher than his own cultivation level.
For example, for Ling Han who was in Body Refining Tier, his limit should be concocting middle level Yellow Grade pills.
However, the primary requirement was the ability to control fire. There were also certain requirements for the heat level, which was why too low a cultivation level would make concocting pills impossible, the minimum being the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier. Ling Han was only in the fourth layer of Body Refining Tier, and yet he dared to concoct a pill… the reason why he dared to do that lay in his Spirit Base.
As he possessed the Five Elements Mix Chaos Lotus, the Origin Power within his body could be transformed to Gold, Wood, Water, Fire or Earth Alignment. The heat level he could control was not really very high, the maximum level being four hundred degrees, but it was enough to concoct the Little Cloud and Water Pill. [ED/N: Most likely Celsius]
'It's worthy of the name "Five Elements Mix Chaos Lotus"–the five elements are in a mutually dependent relationship with one another, and seemingly inexhaustible!' Ling Han praised silently. An ordinary Fire Alignment Spirit Base in the Body Refining Tier would only be able to release flames that could reach the maximum temperature of two hundred degrees. Even he who had had a pure Fire Alignment Spirit Base in his last life was no different.
The Five Elements Mix Chaos Lotus could transform into any of the five elemental alignments, which was something that the Nine Yang Fire Spirit Base could never compare with.
It was indeed worthy of the name of Immortal Grade Spirit Base!
Ling Han's left hand continued to spin, heating every nook and cranny of the furnace. The heat required for various parts of the furnace was different–in future, to concoct high grade alchemical pills would require a furnace with high specifications, such as the level of heat penetration and the level of heat endurance, to name a few of them. A good furnace was something over which any self-respecting alchemist would go to war!
Occasionally, he would throw in one of the medicinal ingredients into the furnace. Sometimes, he would open the lid of the furnace, while at others, he would keep it closed. His practiced movements were carried out at such a fast speed that they would just be a blur in any observer's eyes.
Liu Yu Tong, who had been standing at the side, was already speechless, her eyes wide.
Thank goodness she wasn't an alchemist and so did not really have much of an understanding of this profession. Otherwise, if she had known that the lowest requirement for an alchemist's cultivation level was the seventh layer of Body Refining Tier, then she would definitely be even more shocked.
Then again, she was already shocked enough by now. A few more times and she might pass out due to extreme shock.
The higher the temperature of the flames, the more Origin Power the alchemist had to use. Very quickly, Ling Han felt that he was nearing exhaustion, so he quickly tossed a Return Origin Pill into his mouth, chewed it up and immediately felt Origin Power enter his body bit by bit, allowing him to continue the process.
Time passed slowly, and Ling Han continuously took Return Origin Pills. After two hours, Ling Han suddenly gave a loud shout and bit his tongue, fresh blood spilling. Under the power of the Lone Wolf's Blood, his origin power suddenly rose up to another level, causing the heat level of the flames to rise up to about six hundred degrees.
"Pill completed!" He suddenly retracted the flames. The final surge of the flames was the finishing touch that increased the effects of the alchemical pill by about five percent.
Unfortunately, the four hundred degree temperature was his limit. He could only injure himself to stimulate the Lone Wolf's Blood if he wanted to release a heat of six hundred degrees.
He lifted the lid of the furnace and a faint medicinal fragrance instantly wafted out.
Liu Yu Tong could not help coming closer to peek into the furnace. There were exactly seventeen round vermilion-colored pills inside. The surface of the pills sparkled temptingly, appearing almost translucent. Although she herself did not know anything about alchemy, she was certain that Ling Han had succeeded in concocting the pills.
"You really are a freak!" She said, a strange expression in her eyes.
Ling Han laughed loudly, and said, "You'll get used to it soon."
Liu Yu Tong wasn't sure whether she would become crazy or grow numb under the continuous assault of these miracles.
Ling Han took a Little Cloud and Water Pill, swallowed it in one mouthful and immediately began cultivation.
"Hong!" The Little Cloud and Water Pill was like calcium oxide, whereas the environmental Qi was like water. The encounter between the two immediately gave rise to a powerful reaction, leading to the assault of a terrifying amount of Spiritual Qi. The Five Elements Mix Chaos Lotus within Ling Han's Dantian stirred lightly, accepting the incoming Qi and absorbing it at a frightening speed.
'Only an Immortal Grade Spirit Base would be able to withstand such intensity,' Ling Han thought while circulating Five Elements Heaven Grade Skill to transform the incoming Spiritual Qi into his own Origin Power, filling his limbs and veins with it.
An hour later, the medicinal effects of the first Little Cloud and Water Pill were used up. Ling Han swallowed a second pill and continued cultivating.
However, by the time the medicinal effects of the third Little Cloud and Water Pill were used up as well, Ling Han's tolerance level had also reached its limits. He felt extremely tired, and the upper half of his body immediately toppled over as he fell asleep on the floor right where he was.
Liu Yu Tong, who had been beside him all the while, could not help shaking her head. She then helped Ling Han onto the bed and attentively took off his shoes and covered him with the quilt. She then exited the inner chamber and fell asleep on a chair in the outer chamber.
She was a very responsible follower whose main duty was to protect Ling Han.
The night passed. When Ling Han opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the canopy of his bed, which caused him to be slightly surprised because he had no recollection of climbing onto the bed last night.
But this was not important.
He smiled, because his cultivation level had once again risen to a new level as he broke through to the fifth layer of Body Refining Tier.
The reason why he could break through two layers yesterday was because the past cultivation rate of this body was too slow. The first time the Five Elements Mix Chaos Lotus was active at full power naturally led to a one-time eruption. Of course, this would not happen again in future.
"You, you've broken through again!" When Ling Han stepped out of the internal chamber, Liu Yu Tong immediately looked as if she had seen a ghost. She was even stumbling over her words, her eyes fixed in a stare directed at Ling Han.
"This is only the Body Refining Tier, this speed is normal," Ling Han said, completely calm.
'Hell, it's normal!'
Liu Yu Tong was about to go crazy. In any case, as someone who had a Heaven Grade Spirit Base, she spent ten days to break through to the second layer of Body Refining Tier once she stepped onto the path of a cultivator. As for breaking through from the fourth layer to the fifth layer of Body Refining Tier, it took her twenty five days.
How could twenty five days' time compare to a single night?
"You're not going to break through to the sixth layer of Body Refining Tier tomorrow, are you?" Liu Yu Tong asked suddenly.
Ling Han thought for a moment, before he shook his head and said, "No."
Hearing this, Liu Yu Tong finally released the breath she was holding. If Ling Han said "yes", she really might have gone crazy.
"I should be able to the day after tomorrow," Ling Han continued after a slight pause.
Monster! He had to be a monster!
Liu Yu Tong stared at him resentfully, determined that she would never try to guess this guy's cultivation speed again. Anyways, she decided she would just pretend that he's a monster, so that no matter what speed he cultivated with, she would not think it strange in any way.
Ling Han laughed. After having breakfast, he once again began cultivating behind closed doors.
However, there were limits to one's vitality. He could not possibly cultivate without end. Thus, even if he had started cultivation during daytime, in truth, it did not really increase his cultivation speed by much. However, he was now fighting against time, so it'd be good even if there was only a minuscule increase in his cultivation speed.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu Tong's progress was also extremely rapid. With the aid of a Heaven Grade cultivation skill, she would be able to reach the peak period of the ninth layer of Element Gathering Tier within two months at most, and even she herself was in a state of disbelief over this kind of cultivation speed.